Unbroken
by Nancylu92
Summary: A Czech family travels to the General government in the beginning of WWII. The oldest son, Janek Jack , feels no need to come to Krakow, but he meets a beautiful Polish boy Ralph who he is immediately drawn to. However, the war makes it harder for them to love each other, as both dream of escaping from their home in Poland. Drama to come, rated for safety. East Europe LotF AU.
1. Cornflower

"Damn… Nikola, do you know why it's so hot this time of year?" Janek Moudry sighed, and fumbled in his worn leather bag for a cloth of some sort to wipe the sweat off his face.

"Um… I don't know, it's summertime? You idiot! Do you think it's winter right now?" Janek's younger brother, Nikola, sighed while they walked down Ulica Zielony looking for building number 15, where they were going to visit.

It was the year 1940; the Nazis and the Soviets had invaded Poland the year before. The Moudry family, who hailed from Bohemia, had traveled a long and toilsome way to live in the General Government, where Janek and Nikola's father thought there would be better living conditions. In retrospect, life wasn't much better here in Poland; on the contrary, it seemed worse. The city reeked with discontent, death, and also sweat. Janek felt a bead of sweat drip slowly down from his brow. He lumbered down the worn street, and staring at the dilapidated buildings with a rather apathetic expression. Hungry Poles wandered the street listlessly, like dead leaves blowing across the snow during the harsh winters of Central and Eastern Europe. Long lines were formed at the food stores, and angry citizens attempted to barter with the storeowners for reasonable prices. Janek figured it was just the exchange rates that were bothering everybody. Somewhere he didn't bother looking, he heard the cry of a small infant, and the sobs of the mother, supposedly. His eyes widened significantly when he saw some SS soldiers, presumably from Munich, tear the baby from its mother's arms, and one suddenly cocked a gun at her. The woman began to tremble like an animal before its predator, as she started chanting phrases in a broken mix of Polish and another Eastern European language.

'Muj Buh… What is wrong with the Naciste?' Janek silently thought to himself, resisting the heavy urge to punch the SS soldier who stole the baby square in the jaw. Doing one's duty was one situation, but forcibly taking a newborn from its loving family was another. The redhead was starting to consider the sanity of "his leader," Hitler.

"Bratr, you saw that too, didn't you…?" Nikola hissed into Janek's ear.

"What is wrong with Hitler, Sakra?" Janek almost said at an audible tone, but Nikola covered his brother's mouth just in time to prevent the SS soldiers from hearing.

"What's wrong with him? What's wrong with YOU? You cannot say these things aloud, Bratr. You could easily be shot along these streets." Nikola slapped Janek's arm angrily. "If you get shot, I'll abandon you right there."

This remark caused Janek to snicker. "That's quite reassuring in these times, Nikola," he replied to his brother with a bitter smile. He continued looking for number 15, until he saw a rather clean and well-kept store just a block ahead of where the Moudry family currently was. This naturally caught the eye, seeing as the rest of the city was so dirty and melancholy.

Apparently Nikola had noticed this as well. "Janek, do you think that's store number 15?"

Janek shrugged. "Who knows? I don't. I don't care, either. Why are we even in Poland, anyways? This place reeks. It's depressing, and there's nothing cool here."

Nikola shot him an irritated look. "First Ruze gets tired of walking and complains and whines until I have to carry her, and now you go off and bitch about how much your life sucks." The younger teen gestured to the mass of strawberry blonde curls currently sleeping on his back. "Be quiet. Maybe there's something nice in this city, Bratr."

"Good? Ha! I highly doubt it. Look at this godforsaken place. Do you really think that there'll be decent stuff here?"

"I'm seriously on the verge of kicking you where the sun don't shine, so I suggest you shut your mouth now, Janek."

"What a prick. Fine."

The rest of the walk was passed in silence, until they reached the nice building they had previously spotted. Nikola looked at the number of the building, and grinned. He yelled to his brother and dad, who had lagged behind. In this process, he had also wakened up his little sister.

"Janek, Tatinek! We're here! I found building number 15!"

"All right, son. We're coming."

"Shut up Nikola, I'm too tired and hot to walk any faster."

Annoyed by the turtle-like pace his dad and brother were walking at, Nikola opened the clear glass door slowly, a rusty bell jingling at the top. At the counter was a lively girl around his age, humming a song while organizing the shelves. At first, she was too busy to notice that an entire family had arrived in the rather large store, but when Nikola tapped the counter, the girl jumped slightly. Quite embarrassed, the girl flushed a light pink.

"I-I'm sorry about that! Please forgive me; our family's store is rather busy, and new items had come from France."

Pan Moudry, their father, spoke in a kindly manner. "Please don't apologize, I understand that the stores are always busy, especially during times like these."

Observing the girl closely, Janek realized that this girl was what Hitler liked; fair hair, pale skin, and pale eyes. She had caramel blonde hair done in long braids, fair Aryan skin, and light green eyes. Even the way her face was sculpted looked of Nordic descent. The girl grinned at all of them, and clasped her hands together.

"Wait! Would you all happen to be the Moudry family that Tata had spoke about earlier?"

Pan Moudry broke into a smile. "How did you guess?"

"Tata never makes a mistake when company comes!" Her grin widened, but then her smile faded away slightly. "Forgive me for not introducing myself." She curtsied. "I am Adelajda Figorska, second oldest Figorski daughter. A big pleasure to meet y'all!"

"I'm Nikola." Said boy put down his fidgeting younger sister, who squealed and ran around the store excitedly the minute she was put down.

"The little magpie running around is Ruze, and this grumpy guy here is Janek." Nikola grinned at Janek as the latter glared at him. The atmosphere remained peaceful until a young boy, looking around seven or eight, ran into the store from the back, as another older boy chased him angrily. The two boys looked a lot like Adelajda, with light hair, green eyes, and pale skin, Janek saw.

"Janko, you idiot! Get back here right now, or Brat's going to get mad at us again!"

"But I don't wanna, Eliasz!" The little boy replied to the taller one. The little boy, apparently named Janko, paused when he saw there were guests. He cocked his head to the side, as Adelajda began to speak.

"Janko, Eliasz, this is the Moudry family Tata was gushing about earlier. Pan Moudry and company, these are my two younger brothers Eliasz," she gestured to the taller of the two, "and Janusz, called Janko here," pointing to the smaller boy. She frowned at Eliasz and Janko. "You two know that Ralph's going to get really angry at you two, right?"

Eliasz shrugged. "Whatever. He's really busy all the time anyways, with the midgets."

Janko puffed his cheeks angrily, his face turning pink. "I'm not a midget, Eliasz!"

"Liliput, Liliput, Liliput!"

Everybody began to laugh merrily, as both boys began to blush furiously from the attention.

"Ada, do we have guests?" A voice called from the back.

"Oh, Ralph! You're just in time! The Moudry family's come already!"

Just then, a very handsome - almost beautiful, in a girly way - young man came into the room. Janek felt his face begin to flood with color. This one truly was the most attractive of them all. His soft, wavy, hair was light straw blonde, a color that reminded Janek of their wheat fields back in Czechia. It was pulled back neatly into a small ponytail, with a white ribbon with a cornflower attached to it.

'It really compliments his hair,' Janek thought.

His eyes were a shade of pale sage, twinkling with kindness and amusement. His skin was very light, but not ghostly pale; tanned just enough to look like a normal human. His lips – Wait, his lips? Janek groaned inside. Just how gay was he becoming? But this guy could seriously pass as a girl if he wanted to. He was tall though, and his frame was slim, but he looked sturdy.

The young man spoke. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. Tata speaks gloriously of you all." He bowed his back down slightly. "I am Roland Figorski, the oldest son of this family. But please, call me Ralph."


	2. Love?

Janek cracked a small smile at Ralph, who was only a few inches shorter than him. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Janek, oldest son."

Ralph extended his hand shyly for a handshake, which the tall redhead eagerly shook.

"Would you all like to sit down for a while?" Ralph gestured to the small café tables on the other side of the shop. "I shall go brew some tea. We only have mint leaves, no real tea…"

"It's no problem, my boy. Everything's hard to find, unless you have a lot of money, which Daniel used to say over letters." Pan Moudry sat himself comfortably in a worn white wooden chair.

"Pan Moudry, Janek, Nikola, Ruze, would you all like to take one or two things from the shelves? It's not often that we get such close family friends in our store." Ada gestured to the many imports lining the walls. From French soaps to tea sets from China and Japan, this shop, Figorski Dorobek, had a multitude of appealing merchandise.

Ruze immediately stood, and pointed to a jar of brightly dyed ribbons. "Slecna Ada, can I have this?"

"These came yesterday from England. They aren't very cheap, and I don't know much about the finances, so I'll go call my Brat from the back." With that, Ada left the room to get her brother Ralph, who was the normal shopkeeper.

Their Matka (mother) Luana and Tata (father) Daniel were in Warsaw, as they had a large bookstore near the busiest side of the city. They were always away from home, leaving Ralph to care for his four younger siblings, since his older sister lived in Switzerland with her husband and son. Having had to cater to the store from age 10, Ralph was extremely familiar with operations and finances, and also the handling of picky customers, like Frau Bauer, the wife of the cheese maker next door, at shop 17.

"I have the tea, everybody. Take your time, and enjoy yourselves." Ralph set the tea tray down on the table. Janek carefully observed the blond boy's movements and behavior. The way he spoke, the way he always leaned on one foot when he stood, and especially the way he would always have such a gentle smile on his delicate looking face.

"Oh Brat, the little one Ruze wanted to have a ribbon or two. Is that okay with you, or will it throw the budget out of whack?"

Ralph's smile melted away into a contemplative frown, as he counted numbers on his fingers, whispering to himself. At last he spoke.

"Of course. We have several jars of them." He knelt down to Ruze. "Dear, what color would you like?"

The ten-year-old girl thought carefully, until she eagerly spoke. "Green!"

Ralph's eyebrows rose slightly, not expecting her to answer green. He would've expected pink or maybe blue – colors that girls like. He wouldn't question her though, and he stood to pull two long emerald ribbons from the jar next to him.

"I chose green, Pan Ralph, because you and your family members have pretty green eyes, and I wanted to have green on myself too!" She puffed her chest out confidently, flashing a grin to everybody in the room.

There was an awkward silence, before everybody began to laugh hysterically. As he wiped small tears from his eyes, Janek couldn't remember the last time he laughed so much. Frankly, amidst this huge war, there wasn't much time for a person to just sit down and have a good laugh or two. The joy and happiness continued, until a small voice came from the stairway.

"Brat? Siostra? Do we have company?"

All heads turned towards a little girl, maybe just a little older than Janko, clutching onto the side of the stairway, hobbled down the wooden steps slowly. Unlike the other children, her hair was a dirty brown color, with peridot colored eyes. Her face's shape looked like a girl of Yugoslavia, or maybe even Greece. Her skin was deathly pale, and her eyes were lifeless and tired. Eliasz and Janko ran to the frail girl just as she was about to fall, and steadied her.

Ralph felt another headache starting to come on. "Eva, you know you aren't supposed to be out of bed right now."

"But Brat Roland, Matka and Ojciec said I could walk around, with the assistance of all of you. And they also said I needed fresh air." The little girl walked -with her brothers at her side - to a seat next to Ruze, and sat down while little Ruze was admiring her ribbons.

Ralph rubbed his temples in a very frustrated manner. What did Tata and Mama tell her, anyways? To tell such a sickly little girl to take walks in a dirty, polluted and poor city with soldiers crawling everywhere was beyond his reasoning. "Don't listen to them, Eva. Their minds aren't working right. The air they were probably talking about was the air in the countryside."

Eva nodded, and smiled lightly. "Probably."

Janek, Ruze, and Nikola stared in confusion at the girl, until Eva cracked a weak, faltering grin at them. "Forgive me for not telling you all earlier. I am Eva Figorska, the youngest daughter, and the second youngest child of the Figorski family."

'She probably looks like the other parent, seeing as the other kids are all fair-haired, and all look like each other.' Janek reasoned, rubbing his chin contemplatively.

Mr. Moudry spoke kindly to all the children. "Would you all happen to know when your parents are coming back to the shop?"

This time, Eliasz was the one to speak. "They said they would be in Krakow by noon, which is around this time. They're probably making their way here right now, as we speak."

The father nodded slowly, then peacefully stared at the floor again, like he was before. Nikola stood up suddenly, causing everybody to jolt a bit.

"Oh. Oops. Now probably wasn't a good time to stand up, but…" He gestured to the soaps and shampoos. Nikola turned to his older brother. "Janek, do you think we should get some soap? We're re-opening the glass shop, remember?"

Janek stood up. Oh. So that's why they were in Poland. To re-open the semi-famous glass shop which was up ahead. His Czech grandfather had run the factory and store, but left for home when his health was failing. "Oh yeah, we don't want to be smelling like shit on the first day…"

"…." Janko, not knowing any curse words in any language yet, looked to Nikola, who smacked his brother.

"Janek! Who are you? First you complain to me about the gloominess of this place, now you suddenly think it's a swell idea to start swearing in front of children who aren't even 10 yet!" He heaved a loud sigh, before walking to the soaps and shampoos.

"Somebody's feeling happy today…" Janek grumbled before following his brother.

This section of the shop was lined with soaps and shampoos from so many different countries. There was sweet citrus soap from Sicily, Jasmine cologne from Vietnam, even tea smelling shampoo from Northern Ireland. Rose, violet, hydrangea; so many different flowers blended together to create a light but sweet fragrance that spread through the entire store.

Nikola looked at the bottles, and winced at the prices. "Pan Ralph, I'm going to guess that these were hard to get?"

Ralph shrugged, and walked up to this section. "I admit, it wasn't too difficult, since we are a merchant family, but the items themselves are very high quality, and expensive by nature. Tata's lucky to have connections all over the globe."

Janek looked out the large glass window, at the dirty and desolate streets. Judging by this store's condition and the people running it, this family was very well off compared to everybody else. "You all know how to do your business, I'll give you that."

Ralph smiled weakly. "Many rich foreigners, mainly high ranking SS officers, come here to buy cologne and trinkets for themselves and their families back in Germany, so we do pretty nicely. Even so, many fellow Poles come here to buy soap, shampoo, and small knick-knacks for the children." There was a barrel of assorted European candy next to where Ada was standing, all rather cheap.

Nikola pointed to a vanilla soap and shampoo set. "Janek, let's get this. You like vanilla, don't you?"

Janek choked on himself for a few seconds, and sputtered to Nikola, his face as red as a ripe Spanish tomato. "Idiot! Don't say these things in front of people?"

His brother shrugged. "Let's just call it revenge for being a little girl along the entire way from home to Krakow."

The Figorski siblings began to smile and snicker quietly at the bickering brothers. At last, a very surprising figure spoke. "That will cost 450 Zloty, or the equivalent in Reich marks or ration coupons. Nothing more, nothing less." Janko stared up at Nikola.

"…That's really expensive…"

"Tata and Matka told me that this is all the way from Japan." Janko held a blank face.

Janek looked to his dad, who handed him the money without hesitation. "Get it, Nikola, and Janek. We have plenty money to spare, and this is a very large set."

Janko took the money and ran to the counter, and deposited the money into the till, closing it with a large shove.

Ralph took the set from Nikola's hands carefully and placed it in a box that fit it just right. "We can't have anything breaking, can we?"


	3. Reunion

Ralph handed the box back to Nikola, who took it into his arms gratefully. "Now that we're all situated and comfortable…"

Ruze looked to Eva and grinned at her, causing an irrepressible smile to form on the frail girl's face. Her eyes sparkled with the light flowing in from the glass door, and Ralph felt his headache begin to recede a bit.

Pan Moudry spoke for the first time in around half an hour. "Let us all talk, shall we?"

Janek stared at his father, a confused look plastered onto his tanned, freckled face. "Tatinek, you shouldn't be talking. You've been staring at a spot on the floor for at least twenty minutes." He pursed his lips.

Everybody began to smile and snicker quietly at Janek's dry humor and blunt sarcasm.

Nikola spoke, sitting back down, cradling the large box protectively. "There's not much to say, but… We're from the town of Tachov, in the westernmost part of Bohemia, now part of the Reich." He gritted his teeth with bitter resentment that seeped significantly into his voice. "Because of the unreasonable taxes, cropland, and food that we had to give to the army, Tatinek decided to return to Krakow, where Grandfather first started his glass store and factory. He often told us about how beautiful it was and how it brought him, Grandmother, and Father so much joy and a simple but nice life. Because of these memories, Father brought me, Janek, and Ruze out northeast."

Ralph nodded quietly, not wanting to ask anything further, but something slipped out of his mouth, which he would begin to regret immediately after he spoke those words. "Where is your mother in such a crucial time?"

Janek paled significantly, resisting the urge to stand up and slap Ralph. Even though he knew it was entirely unintentional, he couldn't help but hate it when anybody mentioned the little girl who had become his mother. Ruze looked up from her ribbons, oblivious to her older brother's anger. Ralph also paled, but not for the same reason as Janek. He covered his mouth, eyes widening to the size of large plates.

"Oh my God, I didn't mean to ask such a personal question…"

Nikola shook his head sadly, putting the box on the table, for the sake of resting his head in one hand. "It's about time that we reveal the truth to somebody other than our family, Janek, Tatinek."

Pan Moudry's face darkened, but he nodded grudgingly, an act clearly painful to him. Ralph bowed his head in shame, not wanting to look them in the eyes, for he feared that they would now hate not just him, but his entire family, including Pan Moudry's childhood friend, Daniel Figorski.

"You see…" Nikola shooed an oblivious Ruze away, who looked in the barrel of candy for something interesting.

"Ruze isn't entirely our sister."

Those words alone hushed the entire room, as a gloomy feeling set into everybody's minds. Nikola told them everything; from the context, to the situation that led to the Moudry family to relocate in Poland.

Ten-year-old Ruze Ilene Moudry was simply the half sister of Nikola and Janek. As opposed to the rust-colored hair, dark complexion, and sky blue eyes that Nikola, Pan Moudry, and Janek all shared, Ruze had strawberry blonde curls, pale skin, and amber brown eyes. Her mother was a 24-year-old girl from the Republic of Macedonia, twenty years Pan Moudry's junior. Janek and Nikola's mother was full blood Czech, who was murdered on the streets of Prague in a military scuffle in 1930, leaving a 6-year-old Janek and a 5-year-old Nikola with their now widowed father. Even though Pan Moudry never got over his first wife, he married a 14-year-old girl named Anamarija, and had Ruze regardless. In 1939, the year the invasion of Poland by the Red Army and the Nazis, she accused Pan Moudry of living in the past, and left during the winter of 1939, half a year before the current time. Out of both frustration with life in Bohemia and stress of his wife leaving him, Pan Moudry packed up their belongings, and started the extremely long journey from Tachov all the way to Krakow with his three children.

After Nikola finished talking about their current circumstances, none of the Figorski children could look them in the eyes. Having lived in a loving, stable and relatively wealthy Polish family, none of them quite understood suffering.

Ralph looked up with a desolate look on his face. "I-I'm so sorry about asking about your circumstances…" He looked to the floor. "If there is anything that we can do to make your stay here any more comfortable, please let us know."

Pan Moudry looked at the five sad children before him, and began to chuckle quietly. "You all…" He smiled warmly at each of the children, causing them all to look up. "Nothing like your father… Daniel never took anything seriously, in our formative years. I remember the first war so clearly. He couldn't care less that there were starving people on the streets! He just laughed and passed each day like it was his last. I'm glad that you all turned out to be so caring, but don't let every little thing bring you down. You're all too young to have your lives ruined, you hear me?"

Hearing such deep and good humor in his voice, the children all cracked smiles, along with Nikola, and even Janek. The oldest redhead understood that, even though his father was talking to the Figorski siblings, he also meant this for his own two sons.

'Ruze probably wouldn't understand, or care,' Janek thought.

Loud running footsteps approached the store at an alarming pace, causing Ralph to innately walk to the door, opening it to look down the street. His face suddenly grew rosier, as a large smile appeared on his face.

"Pan Moudry, the couple you were asking for previously has finally arrived!" The fair-headed boy yelled down the street in rapid Polish. "Matka, Tata, Pan Moudry's here, with his kids!"

The door swung open suddenly, as a brown-haired man with green eyes and a blonde woman with blue-gray eyes walked into the store, heaving and sweating.

The brown hair man immediately jumped onto Pan Moudry. "Jakub, how long has it been since you returned to Poland?" He hugged Janek's father tightly.

"Daniel, let me breathe! For goodness sake; a grown man hugging another in such hot weather isn't very practical, you know."

"What a prick. I haven't seen you in almost thirty years, and this is the treatment I receive?" Daniel tsked. "Just like when we were little boys."

Janek looked at his father's childhood friend, Daniel Figorski, closely. 'He really does look like Eva… Or maybe it's the other way around… Hm…' He then looked at the fair "Aryan" woman, who had smacked her forehead with her small hand, annoyed. She had curling blonde hair, light skin, and light eyes, and a small but sturdy stature. 'On the other hand, the rest of the kids look like her, especially Ralph…' He sighed dreamily, thinking of him again.

Ralph, on the other hand, also was staring at Janek. 'He really is an attractive man,' Ralph thought while looking over him carefully. The redhead had messy copper hair, very tanned skin, and eyes as piercing and blue as the sky. Ralph had never considered himself gay, thinking back on his younger years. He had sometimes flirted with the girls who visited the store, but that was only to get them to buy the expensive colognes that his family sold. But Hitler hated homosexuals, which was the issue. If any of his neighbors even considered Ralph gay, he would be sent to Dachau or Auschwitz to be poisoned, starved, or infected by disease. Ralph's biggest fear was to leave his family, leave a possibly beautiful future, for a place of sickness and blood, just because of who he was. It made his head spin, and his body shiver with trepidation.


	4. Smiles

Apparently his worrying was visible, because in the background, he heard a voice calling his name over and over, and he saw a shadowed figure waving in front of his face.

"Ralph… Ralph… RALPH!" Janek waved his hand in front of Ralph's face. "Yo! You still alive there?

"H-Huh?" Ralph shook his head, wisps of flaxen hair falling into his face. "W-what happened just now?"

Janek stared at him with a blank yet annoyed facial expression. "You seriously didn't see? You suddenly just went ghost pale, and your hands were shaking. Everybody went to Grandpa's old glass shop to clean up, so you and I are the only ones here."

Ralph smiled at Janek, his eyes twinkling, and his skin returning to a healthy pale rose. "You stayed here for me?"

Janek felt his breath hitch in his throat, his heart beginning to pound faster. Did he really stay here because of this kid? Was it love? Was it concern? "N-no way! Don't get the wrong ideas here." He turned his head away, childishly pouting at the textile section, which happened to be the stuff he was looking at.

Ralph kissed Janek's cheek, very suddenly. "Just joking, dear."

Janek whipped his face – now red as the ripest tomatoes in all of Spain – to look at Ralph. His first thought: "WHAT. JUST. HAPPENED."

…."R-Ralph?"

Realizing what he just did, Ralph made a beeline for the door, hoping to run down the street to hide in the store where his friends, Samuel and Erik Meszaros, lived. His plan was short-lived, as Janek immediately reached out to grab his wrist.

"Please don't leave, Ralph." Janek's eyes suddenly grew sad and dark, exuding loneliness from a source that Ralph couldn't detect.

"I'm so sorry about that… It's just…" The shorter boy looked down at the ground; ashamed of what he had done to a boy he had just met an hour ago. He hoped that no passerby had seen them.

"Shh… Don't be that way. I'd never get angry with you for something like that. Besides, nobody saw, I think."

Ralph shyly looked up at the much taller boy. "Y-you really th-"

The door swung open, as two young men in Gestapo uniforms barged in excitedly. Janek immediately jumped away from them as he started to run for the back, with a shriek. Ralph, on the other hand, ran to the soldiers happily, hugging one of them tightly around the waist.

"Archie! Kacper! What are you two doing in Poland?" Ralph looked up at the tall brunette man he was hugging, eager to hear the answer.

Janek stopped running and looked behind him incredulously. The blonde man next to the one Ralph embraced whistled loudly.

"Getting some action here, Ralph? Didn't know kids these days grew up so quickly." He slapped his knee, howling with laughter.

"Clam it, Kacper!" Ralph smacked the blonde man over the head, his face covered with a frown as deep as the Marianas Trench, but red as the fresh roses Janek had seen in Paris.

The brunette, who was called Archie by Ralph, patted the blonde teenager's head. "Now now Ralph, don't lose your head over this. Kacper has always been that way, remember?"

Ralph wriggled himself out of Archie's embrace, and turned his head to Janek with a smile he had never seen before. He ran over to the redhead, grabbed his wrist, and yanked his resistant acquaintance over to the two Gestapo soldiers.

"Janek, meet my cousin, Colonel Kacper Bauer, and his best friend since childhood, Brigadier Archibald Gruen."

Janek forced a tight smile onto his face, as both men shook his hand enthusiastically. Kacper grabbed Janek and gave him a bear hug tighter than any vice grip.

"It's so nice to hear that little Ralph has finally found himself a friend since he came back from England!" After letting Janek go, Kacper patted – more like smacked – his back. Hard. Janek yelped from the sudden sharp pain. One thing caught his attention, however.

"England?"

"Oh, he didn't tell you? He used to go to a Catholic secondary school in Britain before the war started. He recently returned."

Ralph crossed his arms, tapping his right foot expectantly on the polished wooden floor. "I'm standing right here, you know. Acknowledge me, at least?"

"Oh, right. Oops." Kacper rubbed his scalp with his hand, turning his lips up into a large grin that brought dimples to his face.

Janek lit up and shuffled over to Ralph, taking both of his hands into his own. "You went to school in England too?"

Ralph looked up at Janek with wonder. "I did! You did too?"

"Which school did you attend, Ralph?"

"Williamsburg Preparatory. You?"

"St. John's School for Boys."

"I know a boy who still attends that school!" Ralph clapped his hands together wildly. "Who knew that your school was right next to mine, eh?"

Janek grabbed his waist, and brought him closer. "We should have a celebration for this!"

Ralph stared down at Janek's large hand, which was supporting his slim waist. He blushed darkly, staring up at Janek. "T-That's not something to celebrate, is it?"

Ralph and Janek argued flirtatiously over whether to celebrate or not, when a general burst into the shop, causing the two teenagers to innately flinch away from each other, to avoid getting reprimanded, or even shipped away for their behavior.

"Gruen! Bauer! What are you two DOING?" A voice boomed from the open door. A stern and tall man seemed to stare down at the four men in the room from the heavens. He had gray-blonde hair, piercing ice blue eyes, and a face as cold as his eyes, contrary to the boiling temperature outside.

The two soldiers, at seeing their commander angrily barge into the store, stood as straight as trees, saluting their leader.

"Sir, yes sir! We were stopping into this shop to see if there were any Juden here!"

Janek's blood ran cold, as his eyes became as wide as the china plates on the store counter. Though the soldiers who came into the store were truly good men at heart, they were still Nazis who could send his family away to Dachau and Auschwitz in the blink of an eye.

The general approached Ralph, who hurriedly went to hide behind the taller and sturdier Janek. He yanked Ralph from his hiding spot by the collar, running a gloved hand over his face, cheeks, and chin.

"Of good Nordic descent, I see." He turned to Janek, but instead, he rolled up his sleeves. He pointed at Janek. "Flex."

Doing as he was told, he flexed both of his arms, his toned muscles showing up on his skin. Even the general was surprised at the potential that Janek had.

"Not blonde, but very strong. Child, were you ever a farm worker?"

At being reminded of the beautiful farm that his family ran, Janek smiled nostalgically, but quickly erased it from his face in a fraction of a second, and nodded. "In Tachov, Bohemia."

The man nodded and let go of Janek, who sank down to the ground, his knees melting to jelly. Ralph stooped down to Janek's side, rubbing his back and whispering soothing words in an attempt to comfort him.

"We go, Gruen, Bauer."

The three men marched out of the shop and into the streets, the bell above the door jingling like a Christmas Carol.

Ralph whispered to Janek. "You are Jewish?"

Janek closed his eyes, feeling a sting in them. "God, help me."

Ralph slung Janek's arm over his shoulder, standing up slowly, in order to calm and steady his taller friend. "I won't tell anybody. Tata already knows this."

"If you are to ask me, I am Jewish through my paternal grandmother. The rest of my family, including my deceased mother, was born and raised Catholic."

Ralph nodded, trying to comprehend the overwhelming truth. If there was anything he wouldn't expect, it was the fact that Janek was Jewish; especially the fact that he was in one of the most dangerous parts of Nazi Germany. "You shouldn't be here, Janek."

"I know I shouldn't be here. I originally pressed for Tatinek to move us to Switzerland, but he insisted on returning to Krakow to open up the old glass shop."

"Because of that, I will do my best to protect your family's secret. I promise, over the Cross, that I will never tell, even when tortured." To show his faith, he made a cross over the area where his heart was.

Janek smiled at Ralph, who smiled back just as lovingly, their faces dusted with passionate color. That day, a spark was lit between them, the fire of friendship and love blooming like wildflowers in the mountains.


	5. Letter writing

České Sklo

27 Ulica Zielony

Krakow, Poland

August 17, 1940

It had been two weeks since the arrival of the Moudry family in Krakow. After cleaning up the dusty shop, and starting to carefully craft glass in the manner that Grandpa Moudry had done so lovingly in the past, business was booming. The store literally sparkled with glass. Glass cake stands, glass plates, mugs, bottles, vases, anything imaginable that could be made of glass could also be found inside the simple store. Janek himself had designed a popular line of glass charms, which the little children would ogle at through the glass window. In a mere week, he and Nikola learned to manage the till, negotiate with fussy customers, and polish the glassware. Janek undid the two top buttons of his shirt as he walked down the street while carrying his leather bag, which contained a new set of fine brushes, so he could paint small details into some bears, which arrived from Brno just this morning. He turned a corner on the street to get to Ulica Zielony, where his family lived. It just so happened that he had to pass Ralph's home to get to his own, so he decided to drop in.

"Ralph?"

He gently turned the knob of the glass door, stepping into the fragrant store. The bell atop the door sang a happy song, as Ralph looked up from his seat, where he was calculating the store's revenue.

Ralph lit up significantly, feeling his migraine from the morning starting to recede. "Janek! I haven't seen your face in a week! How's the store going?"

Janek strode over to the wooden seat where Ralph was located, and kissed the top of his head. "Nicely, I must say. Didn't expect the people to come and buy stuff so soon."

Ralph giggled girlishly, and batted his eyelashes up at Janek. "What can I say? They have a lovely man running the register for them. Who wouldn't buy the merchandise?"

The two boys smiled at each other, before Ralph put the papers and pencil away into the shelf above the desk. Janek looked around at the bustling store. Adelajda was currently arguing with a German woman, who had a Lebensborn pin attached to the blouse of her dirndl.

"Her name is Trudi," Ralph grumbled to Janek. "Born in Dresden, currently is a mother at the Lebensborn facility in Steinhoering. Not too pleasant, I must say, but pays good money for our Jasmine perfumes."

Janek snickered. "There's no need to sound so annoyed, if she pays you good money, tak?"

This remark earned him a sigh from the short blonde boy. "I suppose you're right, but she's even more troublesome than Frau Bauer who lives down the street. And when I was younger, I considered her to be a bit of a prudish lady myself."

"Frau Bauer, eh?" Janek cocked his head to the side. "She's a good woman, though she IS uptight. I heard she once bought a dozen large slices of Makowiec from the baker. Can you believe that?"

Ralph turned to look at him. "Are you serious?"

Janek nodded dramatically. "I'm serious."

"But I heard she only lives with her husband and cat!"

"Who knows? I don't. And I'm a bit scared to know the true reason, anyways."

"Agreed…"

The woman named Trudi trudged over to Ralph, and began to yank on his sleeve. "Herr Roland, what is the meaning of this?"

Ralph sputtered, jolted from his revelry from the intense pulling of his shirt. "J-ja? Is there a problem, Frau Schulz?"

"You'd bet there's a problem, son! Where in the Vaterland do you keep your mint soap? You should put some labels in your shop!" The woman animated her every word with wild hand gestures. Janek put his hand to his mouth and coughed back a snort.

Ralph looked at her sheepishly, with an embarrassed look on his face. "Traurig, Frau Trudi…" He led her to the soap section, and pointed to a large glass bottle of pale green gel. She nodded in approval, and snatched the bottle from the top shelf, and handed him a small bag of coins, and left the store, walking at a brisk pace. Not even looking behind him, Ralph threw the bag to Ada, who was running the till. Sailing smoothly through the air, Janek followed its trajectory to Ada, who snatched the bag without even looking. He looked to Ralph, who had sat back down at the desk, taking another fresh sheet of paper and a pencil.

"Efficient."

"Thanks. It's a routine that Ada and I have."

"I can see that." Janek took his pocket watch from inside his worn leather bag, and cursed quietly. "Ralph, I have to get back to my store."

Ralph made a shooing motion with his right hand, not looking up from his number-crunching business. "Go, go. Don't want to keep the family waiting, do you?"

Janek grinned brightly at Ralph, and opened the door gently, then dashing down the street, attempting to keep his hat on his head at the same time. At his pace, he reached his family's store, České Sklo, in no time. He opened the door, whilst taking out the brushes from his bag and waving them excitedly in the air like a madman.

"Dad, Nikola, I got the brushes!"

Ruze was learning how to do business very quickly, and she was good enough to be approved by Pan Moudry to manage the counter. She pointed to the back of the room.

"Daddy and Nikola are in there, unloading some glass bears and vases."

Janek walked to the back of the bustling store, surprised to see so many boxes. "Tatinek, Nikola, what came today?"

"The usual." Nikola carefully unloaded green glass vases from the boxes, and arranged them on the makeshift wooden tables for Ruze to bring in later.

Pan Moudry swelled with immense pride, his chest puffing out. "Who knew that so many people would appreciate our glassware?"

Janek cracked a grin, turned his hand, and pointed his thumb to his chest. "Pure Czech genius, Dad. It's just showing that they see the awesomeness of it."

Though he would never explicitly admit it to anybody, Janek was immensely proud of what his family had achieved in Poland, especially his father. Pan Moudry, at the age of 44, was never thought to be a man of perseverance by his children. Now, however, was completely different. He was a new person, with eyes that glistened like the glass that he treasured so greatly. Pan Moudry had never smiled since the day his first wife had died, and now he was more alive than ever, thriving under his new conditions.

'Like a phoenix,' Janek nodded to himself. Suddenly remembering why he even came here, he pulled out the set of brushes that he had gotten from the hardware store. "Dad, I got the brushes you wanted."

"Thanks, son. Just put them on the table next to the bears, will you?"

Janek obeyed, and gingerly arranged the brushes by size on the smallest wooden table in the room. "Hey Dad, what should I do now?"

Pan Moudry smiled up at his son. "You've done good work today, Janek. Why don't you go to Ralph's home? You can go talk to him again."

Janek lit up and stood up straight. "Sir, yes Sir!"

With that, he flew past everybody in the shop, nearly pushed the door off its hinges, and sped off down the street to go see Ralph for the second time that day. Once he got to the beloved store, he opened the door, only to find Ralph happily talking to two boys who looked almost identical to each other.

"Sami, remember when Christen accidentally slipped in the mud that day?"

"That was a day I could never forget! He looked literally like a ball of mud!"

"You two stop making fun of him! We were all such good friends, just the four of us, since year one!" Ralph smacked both of their cheeks, though in a playful manner.

"Say Ralph, that guy's been staring at us for a while." One of the boys gestured to Janek, who waved weakly.

"Oh, him?" Ralph grinned at both of them. "He's the guy I told you about! The boy who went to St. John's?"

"Ohhh, your secret lo-"

His twin brother smothered his face with his hand, giving a thumb up signal to Ralph. Said person ran over to Janek, and laced his fingers between Janek's, making the latter turn a shade of pink. He led him to the twin boys, who were intensely quarreling.

"Stop your squabbling!" Ralph pointed to Janek. "Samuel, Erik, this is Janek Moudry, the new guy on the street, and one of my new best friends!" He then gesticulated to the twin boys. "Janek, this is Samuel Meszaros, also known as Sami in England," Ralph gestured to the one with slightly longer hair, "and Erik Meszaros," he pointed to the one with shorter hair. "These two, along with our Danish classmate, Christen, were with me since year one, same class for over ten years."

They shared mutual enthusiastic greetings, though they insisted that they each shake one of Janek's hands.

"I say, I knew a couple in Tachov who also had the surname Meszaros, and they told me they were from Budapest." Janek looked from Samuel to Erik, and back again.

"Ah we're—"

"—From Debrecen!"

"Good observation, Janek!" They each gave Janek a thumb up, who gave them each a thumb up in return. All the boys, including Ralph, burst into loud laughter, prompting smiles on the faces of everybody in the store. Janek thought of his classmates, his friends, and his experience as chapter chorister and head choirboy in St. John's.

"Ralph, would you happen to have a pencil and paper, perchance?"

"Of course! Just on the shelf over there."

"Thanks."

Janek sat down at the desk, pulled a clean sheet of parchment, and a sharp pencil from the top, and thought about whom he should write to. He had several good friends in his old school, before it was bombed, and eventually torn down; Williamsburg Prep, Ralph's school, had suffered the same fate as his. There was Maurice, who lived in France and was ¾ French and ¼ British; Roger, who was ½ Spanish and ½ British; Simon, who was ½ French and ½ British, all ironic bloodlines. The first person he thought of was Roger, his best friend and right-hand man, but the only address he knew was Maurice's. He began to write a long and informative letter to Maurice, who lived in the Pyrenees.

"České Sklo

26 Ulica Zielony

Krakow, Poland

August 17, 1940

Yo Maurice,

It's been so long since I've written a legitimate letter to somebody other than my grandparents in Moravia. It was a shame that our school was bombed. I was pretty pissed myself that I had to be separated from y'all. It made me feel pretty bad that I was the only person who wasn't at least part British, you know?

So, how's the life of a mountain hickey going? Do you even get to eat real food up there? I feel pretty bad for you, sometimes. Business here is going well; Nikola, Ruze, Dad, and I get to eat decently, without the influence of the damned Nazi bastards. If you get the chance to, tell Simon and Roger that I'm still alive. Also, say hi to Violette and the rest of your family for me.

I hope that I can escape from this place. Even though I love Krakow, it's too dangerous for us non-Germans to stay here. Any minute, I'm afraid that Nikola, Ruze, or I will be stolen by the SS in the middle of the night or day, and sent to work at those concentration camps. You know my religion, and I'm not entitled to say anything about it here.

Anyways, I met this great guy named Roland, and everybody around here calls him Ralph. He's the prettiest person I've ever seen; everything that Himmler and Hitler could've wanted in their little "Aryan supremacy" project. He's a proud Pole, though, and he has 5 siblings. Can you believe it? Five! I can barely handle my own! How do you handle your sister, Maurice? Ruze's awful! She's spoiled, annoying, and the only things she can do are crunch numbers and organize stuff! Poland's already fallen to the Red Army and the Nazis, but you probably already know that, but since you're living in the mountains, I thought you might wanna know important stuff about the world. I heard Denmark is a really nice place, as far as the Reich goes; it's safe, peaceful, unlike this godforsaken country. Maybe I should go there, someday; or Switzerland, perhaps, if I'm lucky. But for now, I'll pray that the 1000-year-Reich never happens.

I've never been a religious guy, but Godspeed, Maurice. I'll pray that the Nazis haven't gotten to your town. By the way, I did hear of the Axis victory in the Low Countries, and France.

Your classmate and friend,

Janek Moudry"

Janek wiped sweat away from his cheek, and dried his hand on his baggy canvas pants. He folded the letter, and found a spare envelope in his bag, into which he carefully placed the letter. He scrawled his address, and then Maurice's. He reminded himself to go to the post office later in the day, when he went to get dinner food.


	6. That Stupid Czech Kid

Janek stood up, collecting the letter and placing it on top of some washrags inside his bag, and clicked the metal buckle shut. Sami and Erik rushed over, looking over Janek's shoulders to peer at the bag.

"Who—

"—Did"

"You write to?"

'Finishing each other's sentences… Absolutely insane…' Janek sighed, and waved them off. "Wrote to a classmate of mine from school. His name is Maurice. Lives in France, in the Pyrenees."

The twins began jumping up and down excitedly. "Maurice? Like, Maurice Gerard Maurice? That one?"

"Oh yeah, him. He was in the St. John's choir."

"He lived in an apartment right across from ours! Really nice guy; even when we made lots of noise, he and his mom never complained a bit!" Sami tapped his chin, his lips morphing into a variety of expressions, causing Janek to snigger. "Oh yeah… We visited his apartment room before, but only he and his mom lived there. What was the deal?"

Janek thought of Maurice, and the others, causing something to tug at his heart and memories painfully. "Oh. Maurice's other family stayed in France, while he and his mom stayed in England, so Maurice could go to school there. He also wanted to join the French army, like his older brother, but he was needed at his home. He's probably already on his way to his house with his mom, if not already there."

"Oh, that—"

"—Makes more sense now."

Erik turned to Ralph, who had been listening to their conversation the entire time. "Ralph, what ever happened to Christen?"

"Oh, Christen? He returned to Denmark at the start of the war, before our school was torn down. He had to go help his parents and aunt in their confectionery shop. He sent me a letter recently, saying that he lost a lot of weight, since there wasn't a lot of food." Ralph pulled out a worn, folded paper from deep inside the desk. He unfolded it, and looked it over with a sad smile. "He also said that his hair finally turned a shade of blonde, if not 'Ralph's straw blonde.'"

"Like the rest of his family, eh?" Sami slung one arm over his brother, who pushed it off. He pouted at Erik, but didn't try to fight back. "But seriously Ralph, your hair is something that Himmler would pay you all of Germany's money for. How did it get so… blonde?" Sami fingered his own golden brown hair.

Ralph wore a horrified look on his face for a fraction of a second, before grinning. "It's from my mom, who got it from my grandma, who's Lithuanian."

Janek thought he saw something on Ralph's expression, but he shrugged it off. After all, what did Ralph fear in his blonde hair?

"But Ralph, what –"

"—About your Tata?"

Ralph scratched the top of his head. "Tata is half Polish, one fourth Croatian, and one fourth Hungarian, from Grandma."

"So that must be why your father's hair is darker. His face structure looks like the Yugoslavians…"

They all stared at Janek, who had not spoken at all since Sami and Erik mentioned Christen.

Ralph smiled at the tall red head. "You have a very keen eye, Janek. Do you want to be an artist one day?"

Janek blushed, and shook his head from side to side quickly. "N-no! I personally want to be a performer or a professional singer or musician, but then again, the thought of being an artist isn't so bad either…"

Ralph lit up, and grabbed his arm suddenly, causing the latter's blush to deepen even more, to a shade of rich crimson. "Have you ever heard of Carmelo Federico di Costello?"

"Now that I think about it, I might have… Isn't he the guy from Switzerland married to a Polish woman named Natalia?"

Ralph beamed with pride. "He's my brother-in-law, and Natalia is my other older sister."

"…Ralph, isn't Natalia the only sibling older than you?"

Ralph froze in his place, as still as a statue. He nodded statically, a terrified look on his face, the same as the one when Sami mentioned the origins of the boy's light hair.

"O-of course! How silly of me to forget that! Hahaha!"

"Whatever you say, Ralph… Whatever you say…"

Ralph looked down at his leather shoes, and quietly shuffled to the back of the shop, not wanting to see his friends for the rest of the day; preferably, the rest of his life.

"Tata needs me in the back…"

Understanding the message, Sami and Erik walked out of the shop solemnly, back to their own home. Janek, who was left dumb as a doorknob, called out.

"Hey, if you need to talk to me about anything, Ralph, I'd be glad to!"

With that, he ran out of the shop to take the letter to the postman, just in time to miss Ralph's piercing gaze.

'How? Why can he read my emotions so easily?'

The red head ran as fast as he could to the postman. He was probably annoying a lot of people, late to return to his home, but he didn't care. All he wanted to was to send this letter to Maurice.

"Excuse me? Pan?" He approached closer to the man, who turned around kindly. "Could you please make sure this gets sent?"

The man nodded politely, smiling. "Of course son, I'll make sure."

He couldn't express his joy in anything but a small and curt nod. He was used to showing no emotion to anybody. As long as that letter made it to France, he couldn't care if the world was about to blow up at that minute. But then again, if the world blew up, Maurice wouldn't get the letter.

Maurice's house

3 Rue de Sucre

Argeles-Gazost, France

August 24, 1940

By the time the letter reached France, a week had passed. It was five in the morning, and Maurice Gerard had just woken up, and was about to go into the town square to get ingredients for breakfast, and new farm supplies. He ran a hand through his jet-black hair, and looked in the mirror for a brief moment, before brushing his teeth, putting on good clothes, and heading out the door.

"Monsieur Gerard?" The postman was walking right up his house's street just as he was going into town.

"Oui?" Maurice noticed the letter's address, and lit up. He took it graciously, as he bowed. "Merci beaucoup, Monsieur! I have not received a letter in ages!"

The postman smiled, as he walked to the next house.

"Breakfast can wait. This needs to be read." He sat down on the dirt road then and there, and tore open the envelope. As he read, a very not amused look appeared on his face.

"How dare he call me a mountain hickey? My family is very well off compared to other French people!" He got up, and swung the door open, and slamming it closed as he trudged upstairs to write a letter back.

"Maurice

3 Rue de Sucre

Argeles-Gazost, France

Dear Janek,

I would've been happy to read this, but seeing as you truly don't appreciate this, I will be mercilessly annoying as well.

Why would you call me a bloody mountain hickey? What did the teachers teach you, anyways? Whatever. The soldiers have invaded the upper part of France, but for now, my family and I are safe, isolated deep in the mountains. I have received a letter from Simon, who currently lives in Nice, France, near my vacation home. He says the climate is very nice, but as it borders Italy, both he and I are very nervous. Roger's in Leeds. And will do.

Janek, are you insane? You cannot insult the Fuhrer! It is much too dangerous in these times. Have you learned nothing from this war so far, or not? Seeing the address, I am assuming that you've made it to Poland without many issues.

I'm very happy that you like Krakow. The subject of escape is too young for now. The war has just started, and I truly hope the Americains will help us, for the factories are advanced, and it is too far from Germany to be taken over. Do NOT, under any circumstances, be so reckless with the letter content in your next letter. I heard the postal system will be taken over by the Nazis, so who knows if they will track you down by the address!

I actually never considered you to like men, Janek, but seeing your description, my mind has been changed significantly. Congratulations! Five siblings? Damn, I commend his courage and perseverance.

Violette is too young to be so much trouble. She is only 7, and I don't need to do much to get her to obey Mother or Father's orders. Ruze isn't so bad, my ami.

Of course I knew this, much to my chagrin that you should think so! Which do you think is better: General Government, or the Poland of the Red Army? I believe that Allied Poland is better.

Ah yes, Denmark, the model protectorate of the Reich, the kindest people, and the most attractive breeding stock. Sooner or later, that title will be stripped, so Switzerland's the better choice for an escape, but much more dangerous. I hope that the 1000-year-Reich won't exist either.

You know I've always been religious, but since this war started, I never thought of reading my bible once. Now, I shall turn to it once more for comfort. Godspeed to you as well, my friend, and may God have mercy on you and your family for eternity.

As our choir used to always sing, Kyrie eleison,

Maurice Gerard"

Maurice went outside once more, and as he walked to the post shop, he wondered. Was he always this cheesy and concerned about the world in the past, or did war do this to people?


End file.
